Snake Gods

In my childhood days, I have been part of a group of small girls in that village to clean the temple courtyard where there were small rock stones with carvings which were/are worshipped as deities. I had no idea why it was being worshipped, but have seen elders taking cups of milk and egg every Friday to offer to the snake Gods. Yes, snakes are worshipped as gods. What people worship is the termite mounds where the snakes live. People decorate it with turmeric powders, kumkums and garlands and flowers. They offer milk, eggs to the snake. They pour the milk into holes and keep the eggs near the openings of the holes. They believe that snake drinks the milk.

Usually, these termite mounds are found closer to trees, which are wild. If the hermit mounds are seen with neem trees, the value of the tree grows even more higher as people believe the Goddess Devi (Mariamman) resides with her abode snake in that tree and would bless the people who worship the tree as well as the snake.

Later, I learnt that snakes are part of Hindu Mythology and snakes enjoyed a great reverence in the ancient days. They are mentioned as Naga Gods. In Sanskrit Naga means serpent. The Bhadhalalok or the underworld is believed to be the living place of the snake gods. They are believed to be protectors of springs, wells and rivers.


Kerala is one of the states with more number of Sarpa Kavus, temples for serpents. It was believed that these temples were in place only to protect the nature without destroying nature. These Sarpa Kavu in olden days were in the agricultural plots. Doing pooja or offerings had been tradition, since it was believed that serpents protect their land from the predators.


The offerings are not consumed by the snake gods especially, the King Cobra that is worshipped as God. It is believed that the offerings attract the predators like rodents and rat-snakes which in turn kill rats, frogs and others smaller species that destroy agricultural land. Rodents and rat snakes formed the part of food of the poisonous snakes like King Cobra. King Cobra has been considered the sacred of all.



There are 8 major snakes in Hindu Mythology. Vasuki, Adhiseshan, Anantha, Kalinga, Manasa, Padmanaba, Astiga, and Kuliga

Vasuki, king of snakes helped during the churning of the milk ocean coiling itself around Meru Mountain, creating the ambrosia of immortality. Adiseshan is believed to be the bed where Lord Vishnu takes rest. Anantha is believed to coil around the world and is endless. Kalingan or Kaliya was the poisonous snake on which Lord Krishna danced to subdue its pride and made him leave the River Yamuna from harming the villages on the bank. Manasa, sister of Vasuki.


There are so many other popular snakes in the mythologies, and stories those tell the reason why snakes are worshipped or should be worshipped. The relevance of worship depends on the belief of the individual. The deities of Hindu Mythology wear or have snakes as part of them.

Lord Shiva wears snake on his head and around his neck. Lord Murugan also has snake with him. Goddess Shakthi also has snake as part of her. Lord Mahavir is depicted with snakes running over his body when he was in his deep meditation.


Festivals and Snakes:
It is believed worshipping of the snakes bring happiness wealth and fame. So houses have a snake shrine in the corner of the garden esp. in state like Kerala. The deity will usually be a stone with a snake carved on it. There are similar structures seen in big temples and which is common to all for worshipping. Snake festivals are held at various months of the year. Main custom being to offer milk and eggs to the snakes and do milk abhishekam (pouring milk) on the idols and the holes.


Nagapanchami is an important snake festival. The 5th day in the month of Shravana (July-August) is celebrated as Naga Panchami all over India. People visit snake temples and offer special poojas. It is believed girls who have Naga Dosha (horoscopic affliction caused by the transit of shadow planets Rahu) will have hurdles to get married or would get married delayed. So people visit temples to offer special offerings and special poojas to wade of the problem they face. The main offerings being banana, egg, and milk.




Battis Shirala, Maharashtra has the greatest snake population in the world. The festival is celebrated with great color and grandeur.
Sarpa Kavu (Snake temple), Sarpa vazhipaadu (Worshipping snake) is considered very auspicious. Temples are crowded people offer stone or metal icons of the cosmic serpent Ananta or Sesha. Even Pooja rooms in many homes people have an icon of snake made of silver or copper cobra.




In Punjab, it is celebrated in the month of September-October, called Guga Naumi. People make snake out of dough and take that round the village. People worship; offer flour, butter and coins. After the festival is over, the dough snake is buried.

Goddess Manasa is worshipped on this day in West Bengal and parts of Assam and Orissa.

The nature of ritual and offerings vary from place to place but the belief that prevails among the people is more or less the same; the serpent god will shower with blessings of good fortune and health and wealth.

Snake species in India

There are over 270 species of snakes in India out of which about 60 are venomous. Out of these burrower’s are the only ones that can dig their own holes. Rest of the varieties of the snakes has to depend on the holes made by crabs, rats, and termites. There are also tree snakes with sharp eyesight similar to that of the cobra and water snakes that are less venomous.

The Big Four are too poisonous. The venoms of these four brings in fatal result most often when not treated immediately. Indian cobra Common krait, Russell's viper, and Saw-scaled viper. The Indian cobra is the most popular.


The cobra gained its popularity because of the snake charmers. The cobras always raise up and expand its hood to display beautifully the spectacle design, which always draws attraction of many people. The snake charmers sway their air instrument while tapping his foot, which actually makes it appear that the cobra is dancing for his tunes. This scenario attracts crowds, and snake charmers have it for a while and leave it back and catch a new one. The snake charmers will not harm them. You can see them in the streets of India.


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